1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image detection devices and image detection methods and, in more detail, relates to an image detection device and an image detection method for detecting a specific image area from an image or the like photographed by a digital camera or a video camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a number of image processing systems that provide a detection unit detecting a specific image area of an object or the like, such as a number plate, the format of which is determined in advance to a certain degree regarding a character order. However, in most cases, the condition is determined that the size of the specific image area is inferred to a certain degree or the number of sizes for image areas which can be recognized correctly is one. In other words, when there exists an image area the size of which is different from that of an image area which serves as a base for the above-described inference, it has been difficult to recognize the object correctly.
For a unit to solve these problems, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-334461 enables character images of different sizes to be found by dividing an image into strips of various sizes and searching for a character image within the division for each of the various sizes.
That is, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-334461 divides an image for which characters) are to be recognized into first division forms (in which the image is divided into partial areas each having an equal first area) in a predetermined direction. At the same time, the image is divided into second division forms (in which the image is divided into partial areas each having an equal second area different from the first area) in a predetermined direction. For example, the first area is set small and the second area is set large, and thereby both large and small characters can be recognized.